The Burrow [Novelette]
by Franz Kafka 
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The Burrow is an incomplete narrative by Franz Kafka, written 1923-1924, and published posthumously in the magazine Witiko in 1931 by Max Brod. It tells of an animal's futile struggle to perfect the defense of his giant burrow against enemies. The narrative deals with becoming entangled in obsessive observation of a self-created labyrinth-like construct that causes heightened paranoia.Tags
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I like how Kafka more often than not presents his stories in first person, so that we can explore the psychological traits of his protagonists. Here, we get a very anxious, and neurotic mole creature obsessed with his burrow to the point of complete madness, and whose ruminations are both funny and depressing, making it delightful to read. Too bad that the story was never finished, and it ends abruptly, which is why I can only give it 3 stars.
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Short Stories, Tales and Novellas
31 works; 1 member
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1,506+ Works 103,879 Members
Franz Kafka -- July 3, 1883 - June 3, 1924 Franz Kafka was born to middle-class Jewish parents in Prague, Czechoslovakia on July 3, 1883. He received a law degree at the University of Prague. After performing an obligatory year of unpaid service as law clerk for the civil and criminal courts, he obtained a position in the workman's compensation show more division of the Austrian government. Always neurotic, insecure, and filled with a sense of inadequacy, his writing is a search for personal fulfillment and understanding. He wrote very slowly and deliberately, publishing very little in his lifetime. At his death he asked a close friend to burn his remaining manuscripts, but the friend refused the request. Instead the friend arranged for publication Kafka's longer stories, which have since brought him worldwide fame and have influenced many contemporary writers. His works include The Metamorphosis, The Castle, The Trial, and Amerika. Kafka was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in August 1917. As his disease progressed, his throat became affected by the TB and he could not eat regularly because it was painful. He died from starvation in a sanatorium in Kierling, near Vienna, after admitting himself for treatment there on April 10, 1924. He died on June 3 at the age of 40. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- The Burrow [Novelette]
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- Members
- 46
- Popularity
- 650,474
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.22)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 2
